General MMA News - Page 40

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Eight-time UFC fighter Antoni Hardonk has retired from professional MMA.
The Dutch striker confirmed the plans with UFC.com while saying he plans to focus on coaching at his new gym in California.
He retires with an 8-6 pro MMA record (4-4 in the UFC) and a 10-5 pro kickboxing record.

UFC light-heavyweight fighter Jason Brilz refuses to let his loss last May to Antonio Rogerio Nogeuira get him down.
As he told MMAWeekly.com recently, “My thing is to go out and give everything I have, and I think I did that.
“I was happy with the performance. But other than that, a win or a loss is not that important. For me, it’s all about having a good show and seeing where I’m at.”

After a failed attempt at stripping Eddie Alvarez of the Bellator Fighting Championships lightweight title, Pat Curran now will try his luck at 145 pounds.
Bellator brass today announced the season-two lightweight tournament winner will drop to his more natural featherweight division for the promotion's upcoming "Summer Series" 145-pound tournament.
"I've fought at featherweight for most of my career, so I'm really excited to get back to a weight class where I can really do some damage," Curran stated.

Chael Sonnen will get a formal chance to clear the air with the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
The onetime UFC middleweight contender is expected to be placed on the agenda for the commission's next meeting, which takes place April 27 in Las Vegas, NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
The five members of the NSAC will decide whether or not to grant Sonnen both a fighter's license and a second's (cornerman's) license.

It’s been a tough past six months for Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante.
Making his long awaited Strikeforce debut last October, Cavalcante lost a controversial decision to former lightweight champion Josh Thomson. Before that fight ever started the Brazilian was embroiled in situation with Dream where he hadn’t been paid for his fight with the promotion from July 2010.

It’s become commonplace in MMA for a fighter to either move down in weight or go to a bigger club after a loss (or a couple), but American Top Team fighter Luigi “The Italian Tank” Fioravanti went the opposite route.

Challenge extended, challenge accepted.
Just days after Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and his manager Cesar Gracie stated they were focused on a professional boxing match for the Stockton, Calif., native’s next fight, names like Fernando Vargas and Jeff Lacy starting popping up as potential opponents.

With so many deserving fighters flying under the radar these days, that this particular match up got any attention at all may be a crime, but who are we if not willing accomplices? Amanda Lucas, adopted daughter of Star Wars & Indiana Jones creator George Lucas, was set to climb into the cage for the third time tonight at Freestyle Cage Fighting 46. Lucas had spent the past year away from competition sharpening up her skills; unfortunately, her opponent was a little less diligent in her preparation.

George Lucas' daughter is returning to the dark side -- kick-starting her MMA career after taking over a year-long break ... all because she didn't want to look like a "battered woman" for her wedding.

Polish promotion Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki announced Friday that five-time “World’s Strongest Man” Mariusz Pudzianowski will make his return to the ring against well-traveled Englishman James Thompson at KSW 16.
The heavyweight tilt is likely to headline or co-headline the card, which takes place at Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, on May 21 -- exactly one year after Pudzianowski was handed his first defeat by former UFC champion Tim Sylvia. Also expected to participate at KSW 16 is middleweight standout Mamed Khalidov.
Since losing to Sylvia, “Pudzian” has competed only once, forcing Eric “Butterbean” Esch to submit to punches in 76 seconds at September’s KSW 14. The muscle-bound 34-year-old has gone 3-1 since turning to MMA in late 2009, having bested then-Deep Megaton champion Yusuke Kawaguchi and former boxer Marcin Najman before running into Sylvia.

Myles Jury wanted to justify the hype. Fate had other plans.
Favored by many pundits to win Season 13 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, the undefeated Jury (Pictured) instead bowed out of the competition upon suffering a serious knee injury during coaches’ evaluations. The snap, crackle and pop told him it could be serious, and tests confirmed his fears: a torn anterior-cruciate ligament and meniscus.
Jury underwent reconstructive surgery in March and set out to restore his health.
“It’s kind of opened my eyes to how tough the body is,” he told Sherdog.com. “I’m learning a lot about my body working with my physical therapist. He’s got me rehabbing my whole body now. I think my body was overtrained. I don’t want to get injured like this again. I needed a break.”
A little more than a month removed from surgery, Jury has already begun light training. If all goes according to plan, he will return to jiu-jitsu workouts in three months and sparring in six months. One of the sport’s top welterweight prospects, he has designs on a November comeback.
“Rehab’s going great,” he said. “I’m working hard, just getting stronger.”

Cecil Peoples, the MMA judge who bought us quality judging in the first Shogun vs Machida fight proves its was not his fault, he is obviously blind. Check him out missing this tapout at Gladiator Challenge.
Go to the 3:30 mark of the fight...
Thoughts?

It's been a little over a week since it was announced that UFC welterweight contender, Ricardo Almeida has decided to hang up the gloves and retire from competing in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. At 34-years-old, he mentioned that he wanted to focus more on his family, on his school, and on coaching his teammates. Those aren't going to be the only obligations on his plate though, because as Lary Pepe of ProMMARadio mentioned, "Big Dog" is also now a judge in New Jersey

Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard Vinny Magalhaes is set to challenge combat sambo stylist Viktor Nemkov for M-1 Global's vacant light heavyweight title.
M-1 Global officials recently announced that Magalhaes and Nemkov will tangle on the main card of April's "M-1 Challenge XXV: Zavurov vs. Magomedov II" event.
Featuring a welterweight title fight rematch between current champ Shamil Zavurov and challenger Rashid Magomedov, M-1 Challenge XXV stream live in the U.S. on April 28 at M-1 Global's official website.